Affiliations: [a] Baskent University, Department of Sport Sciences,
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey | [b] Baskent University, Department of Physical Therapy and
Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Ayse Kin-İsler, Baskent
University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Sport Sciences, Baglica
Kampusu, Eskisehir yolu 20. km, 06810, Ankara, Turkey. Tel.: +90 312
2341010/1607; Fax: +90 312 2341054; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship
between, isokinetic knee strength, anaerobic performance and sprinting ability
in American football players. Twenty-eight male amateur American football
players participated in this study voluntarily. Knee extension and flexion
strengths were evaluated at 60, 150 and 240°/s, anaerobic performance was
evaluated by Wingate anaerobic power test and sprint ability was determined by
single- (20 m) and repeated-sprint (12 × 20 m) tests. Extension strength
was significantly correlated with peak and mean power in all contraction
velocities; however the only significant correlation between flexion strength
and peak power was indicated at 240°/s. In the case of sprinting ability,
there was a significant but weak correlation between
240°.s^{-1} knee flexion strength and percentage of
performance decrement from 10–20 m (r=0.381, p< 0.05). No measure of
strength was significantly related to single-sprint and other measures of
repeated-sprint ability (p> 0.05). Hence, although maximal knee extension
strength is a crucial component in anaerobic performance of American football
players, lack of its association with single- and repeated-sprint performance
indicates that factors other than strength might be involved in single-and
repeated-sprint performance in this group of athletes.
